FO rejects unwarranted references to Pakistan in US-India JWG statement

ISLAMABAD : Islamabad has strongly rejected the unwarranted references to Pakistan in the joint statement of US-India Counter-Terrorism Joint Working Group and Designations Dialogue. In a statement on Tuesday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said, “Our serious concerns and rejection of the unacceptable reference to Pakistan in the aforementioned joint statement have been conveyed to the US side.” He said it is important that partner countries take an objective view of the issues of peace and security in South Asia and refrain from endorsing positions that are one-sided and divorced from ground realities. The spokesperson said the international community is well-aware that Pakistan is a country most affected by cross-border terrorism, sponsored and supported by India. The international community also recognizes Pakistan’s efforts, sacrifices and successes in the fight against terrorism. He said that Pakistan has repeatedly underlined that peace and stability in South Asia is threatened by the irresponsible policies and actions of the RSS-BJP regime in India – including towards its minorities, its state-terrorism in IIOJK, and its belligerence against Pakistan and other countries in the region. The international community must urge India to reverse course and desist from playing a role detrimental to regional peace and stability.